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SNOWP ACK, RUNOFF radio communication links to a central headquarters and to each other. The central headquarters would handle the management functions necessary to support the activities of all of the operat- ing districts. Based upon the actual experience of the Bureau of Recla- mation's "Colorado River Basin Pilot Project," we have de- termined the men and equipment necessary for cloud-seeding, operational control, and equipment maintenance in each target area. From engineering experience, we have determined. the spare parts and supplies required for each district. From the expected hours of seeding conditions in each district, we have computed the seeding supplies necessary. We have also de- termined the staffing and equipment required by the central headquarters. Based upon some known and some estimated costs for all of these items in 1971, we have developed a yearly cost estimate of $5.4 million for the cloud-seeding operations in the Upper Basin. This includes amortization of the investment costs based upon an expected 1 O-year operating life. The cost of producing water is the yearly cost of cloud- seeding operations divided by the amount of water produced. We can calculate several different costs STREAMFLOW AND The yearly cost for producing 2.3 million acre-feet in the Upper Colorado River Basin would be $5.4 million. The cost of this water would be $2.4 per acre-foot. The yearly cost of producing 3.4 million acre-feet both within and outside of the Upper Colorado River Basin would still be $5.4 million. However, the cost of this water would be $1.6 per acre-foot. If four of the least-productive target areas were removed from the system, and only 2.7 million acre-feet of water were added both within and outside of the Upper Colorado River Basin, the cost could be as low as $1.4 per acre-foot. These costs are significantly cheaper than those estimated for any other known method of augmenting the water supply of the Colorado River (Figure 8) . 29 ~ SNOWPACK, CLOUD~SEEDING, AND THE COLORADO RIVER salts. By the time the water reaches the Imperial and Coachella valleys of California, it is so salty that it damages some crops such as lettuce, celery, and green beans. The salinity of the Colo- rado River water supplied to Mexico has long been a problem affecting the relations between the two countries. If WOSA could improve the quality of the river water significantly, it would be a great boon to the entire basin. If the additional water produced by WOSA reached the river without touching the ground, it would dilute the water supply of the river with high purity snowmelt water. However, much of the dissolved salts in the river come from natural de- posits of soluble salts that are picked up by streams and ground water. These natural sources contribute about 58% of the dissolved salt in the river flow from the Upper Basin, and water added by WOSA would also pick up natural salts. About 42 % of the salt level is accumulated from irrigated agricultural de- velopment. In recent years the concentration of dissolved salts in the Colorado River at Lee Ferry, Arizona-the arbitrary dividing point between the Upper and Lower Basins of the Colorado River-has been around 600 parts per million. In an average year, the water from WOSA would decrease this value by only 40 parts per million. This is only about half the improve- ment that would occur if the river were diluted by the same amount of pure water. If the WOSA waters were used for irrigation in the Upper Basin, or for some other highly pollut- ing use, the quality might suffer more than if there were no augmentation. Cloud-seeding decisions must be made separately for each of the ten target areas. For each target area, an organization of men and equipment would be needed to operate, control, and maintain the cloud-seeding activities. To allow cloud-seeding decisions to be made either locally or by a central headquarters these organizations, or "operating districts," should be tied by 28 The Cost of a Full-Scale WOSA Program I I~~ II" .